Amazon, Google and Microsoft have urged employees with H-1B working visas not to leave the United States amid visa uncertainties, multiple media outlets reported, days after the White House issued a proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications. Even though administration officials say the measure applies only to new petitions, companies are taking a cautious approach in order to insulate workers from potential border and consular disruptions as agencies work quickly to clarify how they will interpret the policy.
Internal notes distributed to employees, by journalists’ accounts, pushed H-1B holders to refrain from traveling internationally and recommended that if they already found themselves away to come back as soon as feasible. The guidance is consistent with a playbook that companies have turned to repeatedly: in situations where there are sudden shifts in immigration rules, the immediate enforcement risks often stem not from policy language but from variation in how changes are applied at consulates and ports of entry.
Why companies are telling H-1B workers to stay put
And while a rule is only technically supposed to apply to new filings, confusion can result in delays in visa interviews, additional document requests or increased scrutiny at airports. Immigration attorneys point out that officers could request evidence related to new fees or eligibility criteria of the kind that agencies have not fully synchronized — creating a sense of risk over routine reentry for people who are otherwise eligible.
And H-1B status also depends on specific documents — approval notices, valid visa stamps and continuing employment. If an employee travels when guidance is in flux and a consulate sticks a case into administrative processing (commonly identified as 221(g)), they could be stranded overseas for weeks. It is precisely during the window between policy announcement and practical implementation that big employers prioritize continuity over travel convenience.
What the White House is saying about the new H-1B fee policy
The new fee would apply to new H-1B applicants, but not to existing holders or renewals, according to a White House official who spoke with Axios. A White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, also said on X that current H-1B holders continued to be able to depart and reenter the country as it was before the proclamation. That clarification is significant, but companies are still waiting for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in addition to the Departments of State and Homeland Security to release operational guidance before loosening their direction.
Under normal circumstances, H-1B filings entail thousands of dollars in government and legal fees. Another $100,000 — if indeed carried out as described — would change employer calculus dramatically, and law firms like the American Immigration Lawyers Association have suggested in past episodes that greenlighting immigration fees en masse via executive action would spawn litigation. Businesses anticipate litigation and agency memos will determine how, and when, the fee is implemented.
Which companies and workers could be most exposed right now
Government data reveal Amazon has led all employers in H-1B filings in this fiscal year, with Tata Consultancy Services similarly among the lead filers. Companies like Microsoft, Meta and Apple come next, with Google close behind. That focus concentrates the effects of mistakes in implementation on a relatively small number of companies that sponsor high numbers of skilled workers.
Why we’re here: The demand for new H-1Bs already far outstrips supply. USCIS limits new, cap-subject approvals to 85,000 each year, but recent registration periods have attracted hundreds of thousands of entries. The National Foundation for American Policy and the Migration Policy Institute have both found that U.S. tech and engineering job growth exceeds domestic supply, and employers use H-1B as a runway to green cards for key personnel.
Hiring and cost considerations for tech employers now
A six-figure surcharge could raise the filing costs by orders of magnitude and effectively reprice lower- and mid-level roles. Big tech companies could absorb spikes in the short term, but start-ups and mid-market employers would confront tougher trade-offs, like delaying projects or relocating head count to nearshore hubs. Canada’s fast-track visa program, the Global Talent Stream, has already lured teams from U.S. companies building out in cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal; a big fee shock might hasten that wave.
There is also an issue of timing: if the fee only targets new petitions, employers could scramble to extend or retain current H-1B workers rather than approving new sponsorships. That might stifle mobility for foreign-born professionals inside the U.S., but it would add even more competition for cap-exempt positions at universities and nonprofits — if those categories remain unscathed.
What H-1B workers are being told to do now
Corporate counsel are recommending that H-1B workers not travel at all, unless they must and until there is clearer guidance from agencies. Employees are being warned to keep their approval notices, pay stubs and employment verification letters nearby; employees who have pending appointments for visa stamping in another country are weighing whether they should reschedule them to avoid the risk of getting stuck in administrative limbo.
The upshot: despite official reassurance that people who currently hold H-1B visas can travel as usual, Big Tech is playing it safe until the rules are more clearly spelled out and enforced uniformly. When it comes to immigration policy, the immediate aftermath of a major change is typically when things are most fluid and uncertain — and also when an overreach can result in a grounded flight or a stranded engineer.